JPS608770B2 - Method and machine for extracting meat from pretreated bodies of crustaceans such as crabs - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the recovery of meat from crab and crustacean animals, particularly the common edible crabs found on the Atlantic coasts of the Americas.

The above-mentioned Atlantic coast crabs include blue crabs, rock crabs, sand crabs, and other species thereof, and the present invention also applies to small edible crabs of the genus Ginkgo crabs of the Pacific coast of the United States and Canada, as well as to the North Sea of Europe and other regions. It also applies to crabs whose bodies, legs, and claws are similar to blue crabs.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the relevant art that the present invention is not specifically limited to extracting crab meat, but can also be applied to crustaceans such as shrimp, shrimp, and crayfish with appropriate pretreatment to suit the process. It will be appreciated that the method and apparatus of the present invention are useful for removing meat from the body. In the pre-treatment for carrying out the present invention, the crab is first heat-treated, the legs and pincers are removed, and the carapace, collar, mouth part, apron and viscera are removed by pecking.
The removed remains are now ready for processing according to the method of the invention.

A common technique for cooking shrimp, crab, and other crustaceans is the use of compressed air or other pressurized fluids to remove meat from shrimp tail shells (N is rtin, U.S. Pat.
Patent M. 3,110,926), How to remove the shell from the body of a small shrimp (Attt., U.S./Tent M.2
, 546, 414), Method for Removing Meat from Shrimp Shells (Jonsson, U.S. Patent No. 2,784)
7450 and lngalls, U. S Nog Tent No.
3,758,921). However, the removal of crab meat presents special problems that cannot be solved by pressurized fluid devices, such as air jets, used in the methods or devices of the previously cited patents and applied to certain crustacean species other than crabs. .

That is, the meat of crabs, etc. is stored in two body parts 5, 5 separated by the abdominal cavity 1 as shown in FIG. In order to take out the meat from inside these cavities 7, it is necessary to align the direction of the air jet substantially with the depth direction of the cavities 7. Therefore, conventionally, the machine operator holds the air jet nozzle in his hand and directs it toward the crab's body, and this method is used in the U.S. S. /Gtent GreinerM. 965,
706, RangeNo. 1,385,951, War
dNos. 2,838,786 and 2,903,737
and RossMnNo. No. 3,690 465. In addition to the above, there is a method that uses inhalation to extract crab meat. S. Patent RossMn
Nos. Re. 26,136, 3,257,683 and 3,274,640. Of course, there are numerous prior art methods or machines for preparing crabs as a pre-treatment for removing the meat, but these are not relevant to the present invention which provides a new and improved method for removing the meat. In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a method and a machine that can mechanically operate an air jet in a desired direction instead of a human being and effectively remove meat from crabs, etc., by jetting compressed air. A method in which a nozzle is placed relative to the meat part of the body of a crab, etc., and the nozzle is operated so that the center line of the air jet ejected from the nozzle passes in a circle around the meat part. The spread of the jet flow almost uniformly covers the meat part, and the direction of the jet flow is directed in the depth direction of the cavity that accommodates the meat, so it has the advantage of being able to take out the meat with ease. It is.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments provided by the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

The machine shown in this embodiment has a support chest or support device 2 that supports a horizontal framework 4 at its upper end, on which is mounted a ring-shaped belt 6 that moves in a circulation path, and on the outside of the belt. The surface has dimensions to accommodate the cooked crab body.
A large number of retainers 8 having different shapes are provided. Each cage 8 has projecting side walls 10, 12 and a bottom surface 14 with a hole 16 extending over the center of the cage. A ring-shaped belt 6 and a holder 8 attached thereto carry a large number of pre-treated crab bodies into the work area, and as they pass through the work area, the meat is removed from the pre-treated bodies. taken out. Removing the meat: To obtain the best results, remove the crab body, which has been processed as described above, by placing the bottom of the crab, which usually corresponds to the lower part of the abdominal cavity, above the two meat-filled sides of the crab body. Place it in the highest position. The work place 3 is provided with a posture holding device for holding the pretreated crab body on the holder 8 in the above-mentioned posture.

This posture holding device consists of a device that blows air toward the bodies of the crabs directly below in order to press the bodies of the crabs that have arrived at the work place 3 onto the holder 8. In the embodiment of the present invention, this device is located above the tapered belt 6 in the working place 3, has a cross section substantially equal to that of the cage 8, has an entrance directly above the crab's body, and has a blow-off portion 22 at the lower end. It consists of a vertical duct or pipe 20. A fan or fan 24 driven in a suitable manner is connected to the upper end of the pipe 20 and blows pressurized air through the outlet 22 directly above the pretreated crab body in the work area 3. I can do it. As mentioned above, the bottom of the crab, which is a hard plate, is located in a place where downward air blows, so when air hits this part, it is strengthened, creating downward pressure and holding the body of the crab. Hold firmly on top of 8. The present invention provides a device for removing crab meat from two parts of the crab body that have been pretreated in the work station 3.

A total of two devices are provided, one for each side that holds the meat of the crab body. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, this meat removal device injects compressed air from diagonally above the pretreated parts 5, 5 of the crab's body that hold the meat. 9. To be more precise, it is constituted by a device in which the jet center line a moves along a substantially circular path c surrounding the meat portions 5, 5.

Further, a cylindrical container 30 whose axis forms a certain angle with respect to the belt 6 is arranged diagonally above the belt 6. tube 3
2 passes axially through this container 30, the outer end of the tube is connected to a source of pressurized air (not shown), and the inner end of the tube projects from the container 30 and is connected to the fleshy part 5 of the crab body. 5 and ends just above the body forming a nozzle 34 which directs the compressed air towards the crab's body. The jet of air thus impinges on the flesh filling the body cavity 7 through the body closure created by removing the legs and scissors. Also, since the jet stream a has a certain spread, it almost uniformly covers the meat portions 5, 5, and takes out the meat in the collided portion. Further, according to the present invention, the tip of the nozzle 34 is bent and is driven to rotate as described later (arrow b), so that the arrival point of the jet stream 9 injected from the nozzle 34 is the cavity 7 where the meat of the crab body is located. It moves in a circular path c surrounding the vicinity of .

Moreover, as the nozzle 34 is located diagonally above the crab's body and the two nozzles 34 are arranged to form a certain angle toward the crab's body, the meat is taken out from the cavity 7 of the crab's body and is pushed out through a hole 16 provided in the holder 8 that holds the body of the body. In order to provide the nozzle 34 with said rotational movement, the nozzle 34 is rotatably mounted coaxially to the remainder of the tube 32, and a pulley 4 mounted on the nozzle 34 is used.
0, the electric motor 4 via the belt 42 and the drive pulley 44
Rotationally driven by 6. Note that the electric motor 46 is placed near a fixed part of the machine or the work place 3. The movement of the ring belt 6 may be continuous or intermittent, but in either case the crab meat is blown out of the cavity of the crab's body at the work station 3 and down through the holes 16 in the bottom of the holder 8. The falling chute 5 reaches the river, from where it is moved by a suitable method such as a dovetail belt 52. The empty crab body leaves the work area 3 and reaches the end of the ring belt 6, from where it is carried out by any suitable method, such as being dropped onto the ring belt 54. A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG.

This example provides an alternative device for holding crab bodies in a holder, which utilizes compressed air to accomplish this purpose, similar to the devices disclosed in FIGS. 1-4. . The embodiment of FIG. 5 is identical in all mechanical parts except for the pressurized air supply devices 20, 22 and 24 for holding the crab bodies in the holder 8 at the work station 3. In this part, there is a cover 60 attached to the framework that supports the ring belt 6 in the work place 3, and this covers the work place except for the gaps where the ring belt 6, the holder 8 and the crab's body enter and leave the work place 3. Form a sealed chamber for 3. Nozzle 3
4 extends through the side wall of this chamber, and the portion inside the chamber is bent at an angle as described above, and is placed close to above and to the side of each meat-filled part of the crab's body, It rotates along a circular path, all in the manner previously described and with similar effect. The jet of air injected into the room creates pressure in the room and firmly presses the crab's body against the cage 8 in the room.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a machine having a preferred form according to the present invention for carrying out the method according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an external view of FIG. 1 taken from the right side, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the device in the working area of the machine, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3, illustrating the operation of the nozzle according to the invention. FIG. 5 is a cutaway view of the same part as FIG. 3 showing the modification device of the present invention, showing another device for holding pretreated crab bodies in a holder at the work site. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of the operating state of the nozzle shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the extremity in FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of the pretreated crab body.
In the figure, 3 is a work place, 6 is a circular belt, 8 is a retainer, 16
2 is a hole in the bottom of the cage, 2 is a duct, 22 is a duct outlet, 24 is a fan, 34 is a nozzle, 40 and 44 are pulleys, 42 is a belt, 46 is an electric motor, and 60 is a cover. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A nozzle that injects compressed air is placed opposite to a meat-containing part of the body of a pretreated crustacean animal such as a crab, and an air jet is injected from the nozzle. The center line of
A method for removing meat from a pretreated body of a crustacean animal such as a crab, characterized in that the nozzle is operated so as to pass in a circle around the part containing the meat to be removed. 2. Meat from the body of a crustacean, such as a crab, which has been prepared by removing the carapace, scissors, fins and internal organs, leaving two parts of the flesh separated by the abdominal cavity and connected by the bottom shell. The machine includes a plurality of cages for receiving bodies of pretreated crabs, etc., a conveyor device for moving the cages, and a conveyor device installed at a predetermined position diagonally above the cage movement path to remove the cage from the position. An air injection device that injects compressed air diagonally downward toward the meat of the crab, etc. inside the cage, a device that rotationally drives a bent nozzle provided in the air injection device, and the crab, etc. inside the cage. and a posture holding device for holding the body of the crab facing the direction of the jetted air, and configured so that the air jet jetted from the nozzle moves along a substantially circular path surrounding the meat part of the crab, etc. A machine that extracts meat from the body of a crustacean animal such as a crab that has undergone pretreatment. 3. The posture holding device includes an air passage device having an air outlet opening directly above the body of the crab, etc. in the holder, and presses the body of the crab, etc. onto the holder by the air flow from the outlet. A machine for extracting meat from the pretreated body of a crustacean animal such as a crab, as set forth in claim 2, constructed as follows. 4. The posture holding device includes an enclosure that surrounds the nozzle of the air injection device and a holder holding the body of the crab, etc., and the body of the crab, etc. is held on the holder by the air pressure in the enclosure where the air injected from the nozzle comes. A machine for removing meat from the pretreated body of a crustacean animal such as a crab as claimed in claim 2, wherein the machine is configured to press against the body of a crustacean animal such as a crab.